Latch-handle.



F. E. LAUFFER.

LATCH HANDLE.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAR.20,1913.

Patented May 29, 1917.

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FREDERICK E. LAUFFER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

LATCH-HANDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed March 20, 1913. Serial No. 756, 053.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. LAUFFER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California,have invented anew and useful Latch-Handle, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices employing an escutcheonplate provided with a lever adapted to retract the latch bolt.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple device for thispurpose and one that is inexpensive to manufacture including theassembling.

Another object is to provide a construction wherein the thumb piece oroperating member is unobtrusive and yet may be easily manipulated.

Another object is to provide a construction whereby the thumb piece oroperating member will readily conform to the general design of thedevice.

Further objects are to provide a handle 1n which the latch-engaginglever arm is quickly retracted; in which the binding of the retractingmechanism is minimized; and in which the lever-operating reciprocatingmember has a slanting upper surface and is prevented from turning sothat the surface serves as a convenient finger purchase for the operatorof the latch handle.

Other objects and advantages may appear as the invention is unfolded inthe subjoined detailed description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two forms in which the inventionmay be embodied.

Figure 1 is a broken vertical mid-section of one form of the inventionon line indicated by 00 Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of Fig. 1 looking at the inside of theescutcheon plate.

Fig. 3 is a plan section on line indicated by m Fig. 1 portions of theescutcheon plate being broken away to contract the vlew.

The door escutcheon plate 1 is provided on its front face with asuitable handle 2 secured to the plate at the top by a screw 4 and atthe bottom by a threaded stud 5 and a nut 6 as shown in Fig. 1. Thehandle 2 is chambered at 7 to accommodate the long arm of alatch-operating lever 8 which in Fig. 3 is shown as shaped for aleft-hand latch and which projects with its long arm from the chamber 7through an orifice 10 in the plate 1.

w The lever 8 is positively pivoted to the handle 2 by a pin 11 and itis observed that the lever 8 may be thus pivoted before the handle 2 isfastened to the plate 1.

The lever 8 is operated by detachable independent means conveniently andunobtrusively mounted in the handle in such manner that ease ofassembling the various parts is maximized.

In Fig. 1 the handle 2 is bent and is provided with a vertical bore 17at the bend adjacent to the pin 11, communicating with the chamber 7 andpreferably reduced at its lower end to form a spring chamber 18 in whicha coil spring 19 is seated.

The bore 17 is provided with an operating member in the form of avertically reciprocatable thumb piece or push button 20 having a reducedlower end 21 to fit the upper end of the spring chamber 18 and adaptedto bear against the spring 19 which thus normally elevates the pushbutton.

The push button 20 is provided substantially in alinement with the pin11 with a slot forming a guideway which has a slanting seat 22 adaptedto overhang and to bear upon the upper curved face Z) of the short armof the lever 8 so that when the push button 20 is depressed the end ofthe long lever arm will be raised to operate the latch bolt, not shown,in a manner well understood in the art and more quickly than could bedone by an arm of shorter leverage. The slanting seat 22 cooperates withthe short lever arm to effect a maximum and quick movement of the lever8 at the point of engagement with the latch bolt by a minimum movementof the push button 20 in the bore 17 to or slightly beyond the medianline of which the short lever arm extends in order to prevent thebinding of the push button in the bore, which binding might occur if thepoint of leverage should be located between the fulcrum of the lever andthe median line of the push button. The lower seat of the guidewayengages the lower curved face of the short lever arm and co-acts withthe spring 19 to hold the long lever arm in locking engagement with thelatch, and the short arm has vertical, parallel sides fitted between thesides of the guideway so that the push button is thereby prevented fromturning.

The'handle 2 is of more or less irregular outline to represent a treebranch and the push button 20 projects therefrom to represent theremnant of another branch.

The top end of said push button is aslant' away from the lever 8adjacent to and measurably conforming to the bend of the handle and isthus made unobtrusive and at the same time affords a most convenientpurchase for the thumb to press on to operate the latch.

I claim:

1. In combination, an escutcheon plate having. a rectangular orificetherein; a curved handle attached to the plate and having a verticalbore at the curve; a chamber extending horizontally in the handle fromthe bore to the orifice and conforming throughout its length to therectangular shape of the orifice; a lever pivotedin the chamber adjacentto the bore and comprising one relatively long arm and one relativelyshort arm, the long arm of the lever fitting between the vertical sidesof the chamber and extending through the orifice, the short arm of thelever reaching to orslightly beyond the median line of the bore andhaving vertical, parallel sides and curved, upwardly slanting upper andlower surfaces; a leveroperating member slidably fitted in the bore; atransverse guideway through the member having sidesthat fit over thevertical sides of the short arm thereby preventing the member fromturning; the guideway also having an upper surface slanting 7 downwardlyand away from the pivot to engage the upper surface of the short arm,and a lower surface to engage the lower surface of the short arm; saidmember having an upper surface slightly protruding above the bore andadapting the member to be depressed to cooperate with the short arm forraising the longlever arm extension and thereby quickly to operate thelatch; and a spring at the lower end of the bore acting upon the memherand normally holding the member and the shortvarm in a raised position,the lower the bore to the orifice and conforming throughout its lengthto the rectangular shape of the orifice; a lever pivoted in the chamberadjacent to the bore and comprising one relatively long arm and onerelatively short arm, the long arm of the lever fitting between thevertical sides of the chamher and extending through the orifice, theshort arm of the lever reaching to or slightly beyond the median line ofthe bore and having vertical, parallel sides and curved, upwardlyslanting upper and lowersurfaces; a lever-operating member slidablyfitted in the bore; a transverse guideway through the member havingsides that fit over the vertical sides of the short arm therebypreventing the member from turning; the guideway also having an uppersurface slanting downwardly and away from the pivot to engage the uppersurface of the short'arm,

and a lower surface to engage the lower surface of the short arm; saidmember having an upper slanting surface conforming to the curve of thehandle, slightly protruding above the bore and affording the operator ofthe handle a convenient finger purchase for depressing the member; and aspring at the lower end of the bore acting upon the member and normallyholding it in a raised position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 10th day of March 1913.

FREDERICK E. LAUFFER.

In presence of JAMES R. TOWNSEND, GEORGE H. HILES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

